Contact us
In a mental health emergency, you can contact your local crisis resolution and intensive home treatment team using our freephone number:
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What to do in a mental health emergency What mental health support is available to me?
What is a crisis resolution and home treatment team?
We provide specialist assessment for people aged 16yrs and older who need urgent mental health care. In some areas, where people have been supported by child and adolescent mental health crisis services, support will be given from the age of 18yrs.
Crisis services may be commonly referred to as CRHT teams, IHT teams or crisis assessment teams. Fundamentally they provide call screening, triage, assessment (where appropriate) and IHT. Some teams may be combined, some may be separated into assessment teams and IHT teams.
In addition, we help support people who may be an inpatient in hospital. Our aim will be to help you return home as soon as possible, as longer stays in hospital can make it harder to return to everyday life at home. We also provide follow up for those who’ve been discharged from hospital (in the absence of a care coordinator).
Screening and triage
The crisis service offers initial screening and clinical triage to determine your presenting needs and what and who may be helpful to support you.
Following triage, you may be offered a face-to-face assessment or may be signposted to the relevant services to best support your needs. Staff will discuss this and explain this to you.
Assessment
This assessment helps us to understand and agree:
- what your current needs are
- how we may be able to support you.
This includes your mental and physical health needs as well as any social care needs you may have.
We’ll also identify with you, and your carers/family where consenting, if there are any risks to yourself or others or from others. We’ll discuss these areas with you openly and work together to minimise risks, harm and support your wellbeing.
A range of professionals work in the teams, often referred to as crisis clinicians, these include nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, support workers, peer support workers (in some teams), administration staff, doctors and trainee staff.
Your assessment
We may ask you:
- what’s happening for you at the moment
- what you’re finding difficult
- what you would like help with
- what matters to you
- what has or hasn’t helped in the past
- what your physical health needs are
- what support you have in place
- what care you are currently receiving for your mental health (for example, if you have support from mental health services).
The time it takes to complete an assessment depends on each individual circumstance. Sometimes we need longer to understand your mental health needs.
For many people, family members and carers play an important role in supporting their wellbeing and can be involved in our assessments if this were something you would like. We can also provide information about family and carer support agencies.
What happens next?
We’ll work with you, and your family/carer/friend, to agree a plan that supports your needs and will listen to what’s important to you.
Your care plan may include:
- safeguarding
- signposting information and advice
- a referral to another service or organisation (e.g. housing support)
- or recommendations to your GP
- a period of intensive home treatment (IHT)
- an admission to hospital.
If appropriate, your family or carer may be offered an individual carers assessment of needs. We also send a copy of any assessments to your GP.
What is intensive home treatment (IHT)
It may be that following assessment a further period of support is recommended to be completed by our team; this is usually referred to as IHT. You’ll be seen by staff to further assess your needs, following the crisis pathway. During this time, you’ll have access to a direct telephone number to contact whilst receiving IHT, this will be provided to you.
For many people, receiving treatment and support in the least restrictive environment can have the best outcome; that’s why we always aim to offer you care and treatment at home.
The aim of home based treatment is to:
- reduce acute distress
- minimise potential for immediate harm
- improve functioning
- provide alternative to hospital admission
- problem solve acute social or interpersonal crisis.
If we agree that IHT would best meet your current needs, we’ll work with you to agree and arrange frequent support over a short period of time. We can see you at home, or a place of your choosing as often as necessary, based on your individual needs.
We see people daily, face to face for the first three days, then will agree with you visits tailored to support you. This may be face to face, telephone, or a combination of both.
IHT includes supportive visits where we’ll listen compassionately to you and try to understand what’s happening for you. If appropriate you may be offered a range of interventions including, psychological based approaches, medication, practical support and advice.
Discharge
Your care will be reviewed daily with our multidisciplinary team, and we’ll work together to plan your discharge.
If you need additional care, we may refer you to a team or other services who can support your longer-term needs. We’ll talk with you about this and agree the next steps together.
We’ll also develop a crisis/safety plan with you, this explores what’s helped you, what hasn’t, signs if you’re becoming unwell and what you can do at this time. A letter will be sent to your GP informing them of our involvement once our service comes to an end.
If you’ve previously received intensive home treatment and have been discharged and are no longer working with this service but feel you need extra support – please ring the central freephone crisis line on 0800 0516 171.
There’s also mental health listening and support lines attached to the above number that you may feel would be helpful to use.
Recovery College Online
The Recovery College Online provides a range of online mental health educational courses and resources. The content of the site has been developed by people with experience of mental illness.
Helplines and other useful sources of information
The Samaritans
Confidential, non-judgemental emotional support 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair. No credit is required to call and numbers do not show on any bills
Tel. 116 123
Text. 07725909090
E mail. jo@samaritans.org
Sane
A national mental health charity providing information and emotional support to anyone affected by mental illness 4.30pm-10.30pm daily.
Tel. 0300 304 7000
Autism Helpline
Helpline opening hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-4pm, Friday 9am-3pm (excluding Bank holidays).
Tel. 0808 800 4104
Anxiety UK
Support for those living with anxiety and anxiety-based depression by providing information, support and understanding.
Tel. 08444 775 774
Text. 07537 416 905
Email. support@anxietyuk.org.uk
Relate
Provider of relationship support.
Tel. 0300 100 1234
MIND
Provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
Tel. 0300 1233 3399
Text. 86463
Email. info@mind.org.uk
Rethink Mental Illness
Provides a national advice service and emotional support helplines for those experiencing severe mental illness and their carers and relatives.
Tel. 0300 5000 927
CRUSE
Provides people who have recently lost a loved one with information and support on grief and legal matters.
Tel. 0808 808 1677
National Debt Line
Independent charity providing free debt advice.
Tel. 0808 808 4000
NHS Choices
Tel. 111
FRANK
Friendly confidential drug advice
Tel. 0800 776 600
Drugs line
Tel. 0808 1606 606
Drink line
9am-11pm weekdays, 6pm-11pm Sat & Sun
Advice and information for people with alcohol problems or anyone concerned about alcohol misuse.
Tel. 0300 123 1110
Welfare Rights
Free benefits advice.
Tel. 01387 266888
Email. info@welfarerights.net
L289, V11, 11/07/2023 (Archive: 11/07/2026)
